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Monthly Archives: June 2012

I know, I seem to have dropped off the planet. My computer work has gotten quite busy, and the gardening season has been here for a while now. Instead of my cozy winter mornings searching out new art online, I have been making over my perennial beds, digging grass with long white roots, and persistently fighting bindweed vines. Beautiful gardens are indeed a form of art.

My own art is coming along, with a nice boost from my blacksmith friend Will Slagel. He stopped over yesterday to bring more iron stands for the mandalas.

Japanese Crane by Linda Oeffling, Iron Stand by Will Slagel

Sun Kaleidoscope Mandala by Linda Oeffling, Iron Stand by Will Slagel

Nest Mandala by Linda Oeffling, Iron stand by Will Slagel

Lily of the Valley by Linda Oeffling

Lily of the Valley is my current favorite, despite the fact that I have to use a purchased stand, and not a custom design by Will. I made this piece with several layers, and so it is too thick to fit in the other stands.

Now my current focus must be getting these out into the world, specifically by finding galleries that would be a perfect fit for my work.

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World’s largest alpona,painted in Manik Mia Avenue on 14 April 2012Bangladesh

An Alpona is a common Indian folk art form, made of patterns meant to adorn an area for celebration. Five of Bangladesh’s leading senior artists led 220 young artisans and thousands of citizens to create this form by hand, covering the full 1-kilometer stretch of Manik Mia Avenue in joyful celebration of the Bangla New Year.

The basic Alpona is made up of shapes in a symmetric design. Occasional breaks in the symmetry offer an element of surprise, making each design unique.

Although the world’s largest Alpona was created with many colors of paint, the traditional Alpona is usually white. A paste is created with finely ground white rice and cold water, then usually the artist uses a rag dipped in the paste to create the design.

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I took a quick trip last week to Door County, Wisconsin, a much beloved summer destination for those around the Chicagoland area that yearn for the fresh, piney air of the North Woods. Door County is a seven mile finger of land that extends out from Wisconsin and into Lake Michigan. It is a charming area with five state parks and 300 miles of shoreline with Green Bay on the West and Lake Michigan on the East.

Although cold for a night of camping last week, at least the tourist season wasn’t in full swing yet, and so I could navigate the tiny towns and their art galleries without the excesses of traffic and strolling tourists that clog the sidewalks.

The Arts abound on this beautiful peninsula with over 100 galleries, many featuring internationally known artists.

The Gate to Nowhere, William Jauquet

Edgewood Orchard Gallery is located in Fish Creek, and features work from William Jauquet and Chris Jauquet. Father and son each have their own unique technique sculpting and fabricating in metal.

Bowl of Fire, Chris Jauquet

James G. Moore’s bell sculptures were among my favorite things at this gallery. I loved wandering through the paths of the sculpture garden, occasionally hearing the deep tones of the bells as random visitors used padded mallets to vibrate the carved bronze bells.

Farm Pond, James G. Moore

Moore hails from Colorado, and you can read the history of the land and the wildlife in his creations. I loved reading his blog and learning about his inspirations. He has also begun a series of videos on You Tube that give you insight into his process and bring you to an Arizona gallery opening.